Call for Essays on Pop Culture

Please note new deadline of Sunday, 27 July 2014!

We are looking for a wide range of essays that fall under the vast umbrella of Popular Culture, past and present. These essays will be anthologized in an undergrad textbook for general education classes to develop critical thinking. Students will learn skills and strategies in studying cultures by reading well-written, dynamic treatments of pop culture.

Essays should be creative, exciting, and substantial; most of all they should be enjoyable.

A small sampling of possible topics might include The Carny Life • Blondie to Doonesbury to The Far Side • From Corsets to Spanx • Instagram, Selfies, and Sexting • Barbie vs. GI Joe • Project Runway and The Bachelorette • Tattoos, Piercings, and Scarifying • The Beatles, The Ramones, and The Black Kids • Pulp Fiction and Fight Club • Hula Hoops and Rubik's Cubes • and so on.

Essays should be clear and understandable to the layperson and should capture the interest of undergrad students.

Essays should be 2-4 pages or 500-1000 words, double spaced, 12 point Times. Include footnotes and source list, if needed, in an accepted style like MLA or APA.

Essays can be written by one author or by a group. 
 
Essays should be original to the author(s) and should not appear in other publications.

Essays may be written ...

(1) from an academic perspective, or
(2) from a personal standpoint based on opinion and experience, or
(3) as an informative piece, or
(4) as a rhetorical analysis.

Authors may come, therefore, from academic, professional, and or amateur venues.

Author's name should be given as you wish to appear when published. Also include a bio of 50-75 words for each author.

Authors may each submit  up to two essays  as many essays as they would like. (NEW)

Please submit essays by ...
(1) emailing a Word attachment to popprof1 (at) gmail (dot) com, or

(2) posting a Word file to our facebook group Popular Culture 101, or

(3) mailing a hard copy to

Kathleen A. Lawrence
Communication Studies
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, NY 13045

Deadline:    Sunday, 1 June 2014   Sunday, 15 June 2014  Sunday, 27 July 2014 (NEW)

Important information that must be included with each essay:

Name (as you want your name to appear if selected)
Email and Mailing Address
Occupation and Field (for example, business or education)

Title (be as creative as you want)
Subject Category (for example, fads, media, children's toys, military, etc.)

Bio (50-75 words per author)
Relevance of topic to you (if not already clear in essay, this is optional)
Other relevant information (also optional)